WAMI

Research Projects

Some recent and on-going research projects conducted in the WAMI Center are summarized below:

  • Collaborative Project: MUSE – An Undergraduate Learning Model for Complex-Engineered Systems, P.I. T Weller (along with J. Frolik (U. Vermont), P. Flikkema (N. Arizona U.) and W. Shiroma (U. Hawaii), Granting Agency: The National Science Foundation. The objective of this project is the development of a new undergraduate EE curriculum focused on complex engineering systems. A course jointly-developed by the participating universities will focus on multiple facets of wireless sensor networks. A follow-on course provides students the opportunity to conduct senior design projects on this topic using a team-based approach.
  • Functional Magnetic Polymer Nanocomposite Films for Tunable RF Device Applications, P.I. T. Weller, Co-P.I. H. Srikanth and J. Wang, Granting Agency: National Science Foundation. The objective of this project is to develop nanocomposite polymer substrates for microwave applications.
  • Non-Linear Device Applications of Nano-Patterned Barium Strontium Titanate Thin Films, P.I. T. Weller, Co-P.I. A. Kumar and M. Smith (Raytheon), Granting Agency: The National Science Foundation (ECS 0601536. The purpose of this project is basic research on the fabrication and characterization of miniaturized non-linear BST microwave devices.
  • Low Cost Omni Antenna, P.I. T. Weller, Granting Agency: Raytheon. Design of a 4-6 GHz low cost steerable omni-directional antenna.
  • Compact Reconfigurable Channel Emulator, P.I.: Thomas Weller, Granting Agency: Goodrich. Development a laboratory-scale instrument for characterization of wireless sensor networks.
  • Radiometric Sensors as Non-invasive Approach to Health Monitoring, P.I. T. Weller, Granting Agency: Raytheon. Analysis and modeling of the dielectric properties of human tissue.
  • NIRT: Nanocrystalline Thin Film Diamond for MEMS and Biomedical Applications, P.I. Ashok Kumar, Co-PIs: T. Weller, S. Bhansali, and I. Oleynik, Granting Agency: The National Science Foundation. Diamond thin films will be developed for use in high-power, high-reliability RF MEMS phase shifters.
  • Communication System and Network Design for Unmanned Systems: A Feasibility Study for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. Kimon Valavanis and Huseyin Arslan,  Research and feasibility student for developing AUV and communication of the AUV with each other using underwater acoustic
  • Interference Cancellation and Avoidance for OFDM based Future Generation Wireless Cellular Communications Systems. Huseyin Arslan, Understanding and handling various interference sources in 4-G cellular systems
  • Introducing Advanced Signal Analysis tools to Spectrum Analyzers, Huseyin Arslan, Enhancing the spectrum analyzer functionality significantly by introducing advanced time-frequency analysis
  • Managing and Handling Co-channel Interference in Multi-carrier Signaling Based Broadband Wireless Communication Systems, Huseyin Arslan, Introducing cognitive networks and adaptive techniques to manage interference in cellular networks
  • Research and Development of Software Defined Radio Test-bed and Mobile WiMAX OFDMA Transceivers, Huseyin Arslan, Research and development of software defined radio test-bed and using this platform for developing enhanced mobile WiMAX transceivers.
  • Ultra-wideband Channel Modeling for Disaster and Emergency Rescue, Huseyin Arslan, Modeling ultra wideband communication channel in disaster environments.
  • Prediction of Phase Noise in Amplifiers and Frequency Multipliers,  PI:  L. Dunleavy.  Granting Agency:  TRAK Microwave Corporation and Florida High Tech Corridor.  Development of a link between modeling of flicker noise and prediction of phase noise through design and measurement of amplifiers and frequency multipliers.
  • Nonlinear Modeling for Improved Power Amplifier Design, PI:  J. Wang.  Granting Agency:  Modelithics, Inc. and Florida High Tech Corridor.  Research and training grant for development of active electrothermal modeling and characterization techniques for nonlinear transistors, as well as modeling and characterization techniques for passive components. 
  • Solar-Cell-Microarray-Powered Ultra-High-Q Ultra-High-Frequency (UHF) Nanoprecision Resonator with SWNT as a Platform for Multi-Agent Sensing, PI:  J. Wang, FMMD Seed Grant: Development of a solar-powered microarray of ultra-high-sensitive resonant mass sensors with distinctive binding sites for targeted species as a portable platform for identification of biological/chemical molecular assays.